TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Swedish cartoonist created this illustration to mock the way President Emmanuel Macron appeared to discard Taiwan after being coddled by China's Xi Jinping (習近平) during a state visit earlier this month.
In response to Macron's controversial comments on Taiwan, Swedish journalist Jojje Olsson posted an article on his news blog Kinamedia on Wednesday (April 19) titled "Satire: Xi charms Macron," which includes an illustration by Swedish artist Niklas Eriksson (@KluddNiklas).
Olsson wrote that Macron was "treated like an emperor" with an honor guard in Tianmen Square, throngs of ogling college students in Guangzhou, a lavish state dinner, and an "intimate tea drinking session" with Xi.
In the illustration, Macron rides on Xi's belly in a baby carrier as the pair turn their back on Taiwan, which is surrounded by People's Liberation Army warplanes, warships, and dark clouds.
Olsson argued the red carpet treatment makes Macron feel "special enough to say whatever his hosts might want to hear." Beyond wistfully wishing for a multipolar world order and less reliance on the U.S. dollar, Macron raised the "largest number of eyebrows" when he claimed that Europe should avoid becoming involved in a standoff between the U.S. and China over Taiwan.
"What good is this beacon of democracy that manufactures some 90 percent of the world’s most advanced semiconductors and are located in the most important sea lanes for global trade anyway, when you got Xi making you feel important by showing you the beauty of communist China?" wrote Olsson. He added that Macron's blue eyes were accentuated to emphasize his new-found naivete.
On April 9, French President Emmanuel Macron was cited by Politico as saying that Europe needs to lessen its reliance on the U.S. and evade becoming involved in a clash between China and the U.S. over Taiwan. Macron argued that in order to achieve his goal of “strategic autonomy” for Europe, it must avoid getting involved in crises that are "not ours."
He expressed fears that "overcome with panic" over a crisis in the Taiwan Strait, European nations would "believe we are just America's followers." The French president said the question European countries must grapple with is whether it is in "our interest to accelerate (a crisis) on Taiwan?"
Macron said: "No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction." He was quickly lambasted by many prominent by politicians, scholars, and journalists from Western countries for his comments.
To see the full-sized version of the illustration, click on the image below:
